Archive for the 'ACT' Category

Waterbury, VT – The American Racer Three Star program is designed to recognize three non-podium teams in no particular order of performance that had outstanding races at American-Canadian Tour (ACT) U.S. Tour and select ACT-sanctioned events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer tire (value $125.00), but a special effort by a team, exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or any other accepted reason is used to decide the award recipients.

The Three Stars are chosen by ACT officials and will receive certificates for use of a free American Racer tire at a future ACT event.

THOMPSON MOTOR SPEEDWAYWORLD SERIES 100

ACT made its first visit to Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway in 23 years – and the inaugural trip under the ACT Late Model Tour banner – this past Saturday, October 17 for its 2015 season finale as part of the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing presented by XtraMart. A field of 35 cars participated in qualifying with 33 starting the World Series 100, and the event saw numerous twists and turns. Rowley, MA’s Eddie MacDonald and Waterford, CT’s Dillon Moltz both appeared to have the race in hand at various stages. But the engine in MacDonald’s Hancock Electric Chevy expired with 25 laps remaining, and an incident on a lap-92 restart eliminated Moltz along with Joey Polewarczyk Jr. – taking “Joey Pole’s” slim championship hopes with them.

The mantle was thus passed to Williston, VT’s Brian Hoar, who easily held off the field for an emotional 42ndcareer ACT victory in what turned out to be his final race. Behind him, Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell Jr. did exactly what he needed to do to clinch his third ACT Late Model Tour Championship. But there were numerous stories to follow throughout the field, with ACT newcomers and established racers alike fighting for points and pride to close out 2015. The American Racer Stars of the Race are:

Thompson, CT – Williston, VT’s Brian Hoar perhaps ended the most accomplished career in American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model history on top once again by winning the World Series 100 at Connecticut’s Thompson Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 17. Meanwhile, Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell Jr. added another notch to his belt by clinching his third ACT Tour Championship in four years.

Hoar was running second on a restart with eight laps remaining when leader Dillon Moltz lost control as the field came to the green. Although Hoar was able to get by, third-place Joey Polewarczyk Jr. could not and plowed in, with Walter Sutcliff getting collected as well.

Hoar easily held off Brad Babb and Jimmy Hebert on the final restart for his second straight ACT Late Model Tour win and 42nd of his career. He then tearfully announced in Victory Lane that he is stepping away from the driver’s seat.

The second night of the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing weekend, presented by XtraMart at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park saw eight champions crowned over the span of nine feature events throughout the evening with the centerpiece of the night’s racing action being the long awaited return of the American Canadian Late Model Tour (ACT) for the first time since 1992.

The 100-lap feature saw some of the best Late Model drivers in both the United States and over the border in Canada take to the track as the series crowned it’s latest champion, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., and saw the possible end of a storied career for one of the series most successful stars. While Helliwell took home the big trophy at the end of the night the race itself saw a victory for Brian Hoar who scored his 42nd career victory in the series and capped off the night with a major announcement.

“I’m just really excited,” said Hoar who expanded on his record setting series-high win total. “It’s been a really emotional road for me the past couple of weeks because I made the decision to hang the helmet up for a while. This is it for a little while.”

For the fourth time in seven outings, Eddie MacDonald powered to an impressive win in the Seventh Annual Bond Auto Parts ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September, 26. The Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy started 20th in the 43 car field to take the checkered flag in a convincing win in the 50 lap event.

“This is my favorite track so to get this win in front of all our fans, friends, and family is fantastic,” said the jubilant veteran racer. “To be able to win this event four times in seven tries is due to all the hard work everyone puts into this car. From Freddie and Sheila (Peterson) on down, none of this would be possible without a lot of effort. When the race started we knew we had a fast car but we didn’t have time to waste because the race was only fifty laps. Fortunately, the car responded well and I was able to get up in contention early.”

When the green flag waved Eddie Mac wasted little time as he weaved through the field and after a lap two caution the Rowley, Mass. driver had the crowd cheering as he entered turn one third on the outside and on the bottom of turn three on the inside. When the dust settled the #17Ma. passed four cars and in the eighth position on lap four.

On lap 11 Eddie Mac rode in third place for a number of laps to cool his tires saying, “As long as I could see the #58 I was content to ride a bit but we really needed a caution because the #58 and #97 were so far out in front. At the halfway flag, Rollie (LaChance) said I better get going. I made a little progress but then we got the break we needed with a caution on lap 31. The car was a little tight, but I could deal with it so no adjustments were needed.”

Eddie Mac restarted sixth with three lap cars separating the #17 from the leaders. After three laps, Eddie Mac passed the #58 for second place and set his sights on Joey Pole. On lap 37, Eddie Mac had the lead and began pulling away establishing a four car length lead. With six laps to go and a ten car length lead, the caution flag waved.

“Earlier we wanted the caution but this time we didn’t,” said Eddie Mac. “Joey was on the outside on the restart and Helliwell was right behind me and he was fast. I got lucky when the green waved with six laps to go Laperle dove in low under Wayne and Joey in turn one and that gave me time to get away with them fighting for second.”

When the checkered flag waved, Eddie Mac enjoyed a comfortable eight car length lead over Pole to claim the win saying, “This is special to be this good here. We have won four of these, all on odd years, 2009, 2011, 2013, and today. I guess we should just stay home on the even years,’ joked the winner in Victory Lane.

“I get all the credit, but this wouldn’t happen without the commitment of so many people,” said the thankful winner. “Rollie and I appreciate all Freddie and Sheila have given to us with the support of Bobby Wood, our K&N team owner Rob Grimm, Ken and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy, and Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty. We also get support from Stilo, HMS Motorsports, and Schroth Racing. Our crew is the best with thanks to Laura, Tom, Rob, Logger, Al, Kenny, and Donny. The car looks great thanks to our body and paint man John Tiernan and to the guys in the shop Dick Casey, our PR guy also, and Herbie Wing. Thanks to all our fans that come out to support us.

The season is far from over as Eddie Mac will race in the final K&N Pro Series East race of the season on Friday, October 2nd at Dover International Speedway where he finished fourth last year. Eddie Mac will the defend his ACT Milk Bowl title at Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont on October 10th-11th before heading to Thompson Ct. for the World Series of Racing onOctober 16th-17th in the final ACT series race of the season. Finally, the team will wrap up their Late Model season in the Fall Brawl at Speedway 51, in Groveton, NH on October 24th.

Loudon, NH – Todd Davis of Claremont, NH and Jeff Rocco of Wallingford, CT will start on the front row for today’s 7th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational. The event features 43 American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model drivers from the Northeast United States and eastern Canada.

Davis is a long-time ACT Tour competitor making his fourth Invitational start, while multi-time Thompson Speedway Late Model winner Rocco is making his first appearance in the Invitational. Fellow first-timer Walt Hammond Jr. of Orange, NH and Newport, NH’s Kyle Welch make up the second row followed by Ryan Vanasse and Tom Carey Jr.

Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) U.S. and Série ACT return to Plattsburgh, NY’s Airborne Park Speedway for the 41st Annual Fall Foliage 200 Saturday, October 3. Série ACT will crown its 2015 champion at the combination event as the ACT U.S. Tour sets the stage for their own season finale later in October.

The Série ACT championship is now a two-man duel between St-Edouard, QC’s Dany Trépanier and 2013 Champion Jean-François Dery of Quebec, QC. Trépanier enters the event with a 30-point advantage over Déry on the strength of one win and eight top-5 finishes. Both drivers have finished in the top-10 in all but one of the 11 events.

Behind the lead duo sits a three-man battle for third in the standings. Levis, QC’s Patrick Cliche is two points ahead of fourth-place Jonathan Bouvrette and 22 up on fifth-place Martin Goulet Jr. Bouvrette and Goulet sit first and second in the Bond Auto New Champions standings.

Waterbury, VT – American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model drivers from seven U.S. states and the Canadian province of Quebec will vie for pride, glory, and a guaranteed $7,500 first-place prize when they visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the 7th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational on Saturday, September 26. But a little extra will be on the table for members of the Bond Auto New Champions program.

As part of their sponsorship of both the 50-lap Invitational and the New Champions, Bond Auto Parts has posted $2,500 in awards for New Champions–eligible drivers participating in the Invitational on the 1.058-mile oval. The top-five finishing New Champions drivers who have competed in at least five ACT-sanctioned events this season prior to the Invitational will each receive a $500 bonus.

“We really appreciate Bond Auto doing this for teams like ours,” Barre Town, VT’s Mike Ziter said. “Money’s a good motivation. We’re going with realistic goals – there’s a lot of tough competition that’s been there before. But if we show up and feel comfortable to where we can fight for that bonus, then we will.”

Barre, VT – Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert has filed the first official entry for the 53rd Northfield Savings Bank Milk Bowl on Sunday, October 11. The 2015 edition of the “toughest short-track stock car race in North America” has more than $60,000 in posted awards with $10,000 guaranteed to the winner of the annual Thunder Road Speedbowl season finale.

The Milk Bowl is one of the most celebrated auto racing events in the United States with its unique race format and tradition. The special event for American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models is run in three 50-lap segments, with the starting grid for the second and third segments set by inverting the finishing order of the previous segment. Drivers receive one point per position, per segment, with the lowest combined finish for all three segments earning the overall win.

“The Milk Bowl means a lot,” Hebert said. “I grew up watching it as a kid, and it was definitely the biggest race at my home track (Thunder Road). We’re excited for it this year – we’ve finally started to figure things out at Thunder Road. We’ve had some tough luck the last couple years and couple of car issues, but I think we’re in pretty good shape this year.”

Justin St. Louis, a motorsports writer for three Vermont daily newspapers, is the winner of the New England Antique Racers’ Mitchell/Ratta Award. The prize will be presented at the New England Antique Racers Hall of Fame 18thinduction banquet Sunday, Nov. 8 at Maneeley’s in South Windsor, CT.

A native Vermonter, St Louis is a contributor to the Burlington Free Press, the Rutland Herald and the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus. He is also a play-by-play announcer on the Radio Vermont network of stations. A member of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame advisory committee, he has been covering auto racing since attending Thunder Road and Catamount Stadium as a teenager.

The prize memorializes two of New England’s greatest motorsports writers – Charlie Mitchell of the Norwalk (CT) Hour and Jack Ratta of the Manchester (NH) Union Leader.

Waterbury, VT – Forty-three of the top American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model competitors from seven U.S. states and the Canadian province of Quebec will descend on Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the 7th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational Saturday, September 26. All four former winners of the Invitational will look to add another entry to the record books, but a number of drivers are in position to break into the “Magic Mile” winner’s circle for the first time.

Rowley, MA’s Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald is the clear top dog heading into the 50-lap, 52.9-mile event with nearly $80,000 in posted awards. MacDonald has three Invitational wins to his name, triumphing in 2009, 2011, and 2013. After a strong showing in the annual Test & Tune Session in August, MacDonald will go for a fourth win this year.

“It’s definitely going to be tough,” MacDonald said. “The competition has gotten tougher and tougher each year. Hopefully we can get the car so we can get through traffic and just be able to get close to the front and have a shot at the end.”

Vallée-Jct., QC – Wayne Helliwell Jr. took advantage of lapped traffic to slip by Donald Theetge with 11 laps remaining and take his fourth win American-Canadian Tour (ACT) win of the season at Vallée-Jct., QC’s Autodrome Chaudiere on Saturday, September 12.

Dover, NH’s Helliwell had stalked Theetge through traffic after the two got around then-leader Jean-François Déry on lap 169 of the 200-lap event. As the pair approached the lapped car of Etienne Cliche, Theetge looked to pass him on the outside groove. But Cliche drifted high entering turn 3 and Helliwell dove to the bottom, grabbing the lead and driving away for the win in front of the second-largest crowd in track history.

Patrick Hamel got the jump on polesitter Martin Goulet Jr. and lead the first seven laps before Déry took over. Déry built a big lead at times, but six cautions in the first 63 laps tightened the field up and led to Déry and Theetge swapping the lead back and forth on a series of restarts.

Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model field is nearly set for the 7th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) Saturday, September 26. Drivers from seven U.S. states and the Canadian province of Quebec have already accepted invitations for the 43-car, 50-lap event.

All four previous winners of the Bond Auto ACT Invitational will try and add to their win total. Three-time Invitational winner Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA will look for his fourth victory, while 2014 winner Wayne Helliwell of Dover, NH tries to go back-to-back. 2010 winner and current ACT Tour point leader Joey Polewarczyk Jr. of Hudson, NH along with 2012 winner Ray Parent of Tiverton, RI are searching for their second Invitational victories.

A strong contingent of Quebec competitors look to bring the trophy to Canada for the first time. Current Série ACT point leader Dany Trépanier of St-Edourard, QC and 2014 Invitational runner-up Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, QC lead the list of Quebec contenders. 2014 Série ACT Champion Alex Labbé, 2013 Champion Jean-François Déry, and Bond Auto Parts New Champions point leader Jonathan Bouvrette will also join the starting field.

Vallée-Jct., QC – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) U.S and Série ACT head to Vallée-Jct., QC’s Autodrome Chaudiere this Saturday, September 12 for the Chaudiere Twin 200s. The ACT Late Models and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models will both run 200-lap main events in the doubleheader for the two series.

The ACT combination event is the inaugural point-counting race for the ACT U.S. Tour at Chaudiere. Select U.S. drivers previously visited the speedway for the “Showdown at Chaudiere” invitational event held from 2008-2012, but many Tour regulars will be making their debut at the 1/3-mile oval. Even drivers such as two-time ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. will have their work cut out for them to get up to speed.

“It will definitely be interesting, because we have no notes to go on to go back there,” Dover, NH’s Helliwell said. “From what I remember (at the Showdown), the track is an interesting combination between Thunder Road and White Mountain – it had a lot of banking and was really tight. Hopefully between those two tracks we can come up with a good setup.”

Barre, VT – Local racer Nick Sweet made his move on a late restart to become the first three-time winner of the Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic 200 at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, September 6 while Derrick O’Donnell put the finishing touches on his third straight “King of the Road” crown.

Sweet methodically worked his way through the field after pitting for right-side tires on a lap-78 caution and found himself alongside leader Brett Gervais of Island Pond on a restart with 22 laps remaining after O’Donnell shut down due to fuel pick-up issues while battling for third.

Sweet, who started 13th, got the jump to take the lead and held Gervais off on two more restarts, including one for a red flag with three laps to go after Eric Badore and Jim Morris pounded the turn-4 wall, for his third win of the season and 17th of his Thunder Road Late Model career. N. Haverhill, NH’s O’Donnell, who came into the event having already clinched his third consecutive Thunder Road track championship, recovered to finish ninth.

Barre, VT – Thunder Road racing legend and family patriarch Joey Laquerre of East Montpelier has been elected to the New England Auto Racing (NEAR) Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.

The 71-year-old Laquerre is the all-time winningest driver at Barre’s Thunder Road with 45 wins, including a record 17 in the Tiger Sportsmen and 14 in the Late Models. His most recent Thunder Road victory came in a Late Model feature on June 5, 2014. Laquerre was the 1982 “King of the Road” and also won five championships in the Mini Stock division between 1973 and 1980.

In addition, Laquerre was the winningest driver at the former Catamount Stadium in Milton. He currently owns and operates Speedway 51 in Groveton, NH.

Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Série ACT head to Ste-Croix, QC’s Circuit Riverside Speedway this Saturday, August 22 for the Can-Am 150. U.S. drivers have dominated the annual Tour combination event since its incarnation in 2010, but the top Série ACT drivers are ready to defend their turf.

The Can-Am 150 is the tenth of 13 race in the ACT U.S. schedule and the eighth in the 12-race Série ACT season. Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk Jr. triumphed in the 2014 running at the 5/8-mile oval and clinched his first ACT Tour Championship in the process. Defending Série ACT Champion Alex Labbé is the only Quebec driver to win an ACT combo event at Circuit Riverside, having captured the 2013 edition.

Série ACT will bring a strong group to chase the top prize on Saturday. Point leader Dany Trépanier earned his first win of the season in the tour’s most recent event at Autodrome St-Félicien. Labbé and Martin Goulet Jr. have visited Victory Lane this season, while Jonathan Bouvrette leads the Bond Auto Parts New Champions standings. Patrick Cliche and 2013 Série ACT Champion Jean-François Déry sit third and fifth in the point standings and will also be factors.

Barre, VT – The next-to-last Thursday night event of the 56th Thunder Road racing season is this Thursday, August 20 with Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night. N. Haverhill, NH’s Derrick O’Donnell is just three races away from a record-tying third consecutive “King of the Road” title, making each spot critical this Thursday night.

The evening will also feature the annual “Run-What-U-Brung” spectator races, allowing people to race their registered and inspected street vehicles mano-a-mano around the ¼-mile oval. Participants must register at the pit gate by 5:30pm, purchase a pit pass, and wear a full racing helmet.

O’Donnell had a big night last Thursday. Barre challengers Nick Sweet and Cody Blake were both involved in crashes while O’Donnell escaped trouble to secure a fifth-place finish. O’Donnell now has a 42-point lead over Sweet and is 60 points ahead of Blake, putting him in the catbird seat for a third straight championship, a feat accomplished only once in Thunder Road’s 56-year history. John Donahue and Scott Dragon round out the top-five.

Waterbury, VT – The American Racer Three Star program is designed to recognize three teams in no particular order of performance that had outstanding races at American-Canadian Tour (ACT) U.S. Tour events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer Tire (value $125.00), but a special effort by a team, exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or any other accepted reason is used to decide the award recipients.

The Three Stars are chosen by ACT officials and will receive certificates for use of a free American Racer tire at a race of their choosing during the 2015 season.

Barre, VT – The stretch drive of Thunder Road’s weekly racing season continues this Thursday night, August 13 with U.S. Army Recruiting Night. With just four point-counting events remaining on the 2015 Thunder Road racing calendar, it’s “go time” in the championship battles for the Thunder Road Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks.

The famed Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman division will take the stage on Thursday night. Thunder Road officials have announced the Tiger Sportsmen will run twin 50-lap Milk Bowl–style features. The finish of the first 50-lap feature will be inverted to set the starting line-up for the second feature. The driver with the best combined finish in the two features will be the overall winner.

“It’ll be fun to be the main event for the night,” Barre’s Christopher Pelkey said. “Two 50-lappers definitely brings something different. The last time we did segments two weeks ago, there wasn’t really enough laps for the guys who started out back to get to the front. With 50 laps, if you’ve got a good car, you should be able to finish up front in both of them.”

Eddie MacDonald fought his way through the field from a 22nd starting position to score a third place finish in the American Canadian Tour’s Beech Ridge 150 in Scarborough, Maine on Saturday, August 8. Eddie Mac had to qualify for the race in a consi after getting dumped in the heat race.

Eddie Mac bounced back from the set back and put on an impressive display of driving from the rear of the starting grid of 27 cars. Before that could happen, things took a turn for the worse with the Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy in third place in the heat race when the #17 RI decided to dump the #17Ma with two laps remaining in the 12 lap heat. The top four cars from the three heat races gained starting positions for the 150 lap feature. This forced Eddie Mac into the 12 lap consi starting ninth with the top five making the feature. Eddie Mac finished fifth.

“We had a good car right through practice and we were headed for a good starting position for the feature when I got taken out,” said an angry Eddie Mac. “I don’t know why he was mad at me since I didn’t have anything to do with him sliding up the track. It was uncalled for and I thought I was going to hit the wall. It put us in a tough spot to make the race since we had to start in the back of the consi. Fortunately we made it but it put more laps and wear on our tires that would hurt us at the end of the feature.”

Scarborough, ME – Windham, ME’s Brad Babb got the upper hand in a battle two-time American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. to take his second ACT Tour win of the season in the Beech Ridge 150 at Scarborough, ME’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 8.

The 2012 Beech Ridge Pro Series Champion lost the lead to Helliwell on the race’s final restart on lap 142, but swung to the outside four laps later to regain the top spot. Babb then held off Helliwell and Eddie MacDonald to become the ninth different winner in as many ACT Late Model Tour events at Beech Ridge.

“I knew it was going to be tough on the restart being stuck on the bottom,” Babb said. “Wayne got by, and at that point I thought I was just going to try and hold on for second. But the car came back to me after a lap or two, and once I got to the outside of him, it was as good as it was all day.”

Waterbury, VT – American-Canadian Tour (ACT) officials have announced the disqualification of Karl Allard from the Chaudiere 150 held at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallée-Jct., QC on July 11 and 12.

Allard crossed the finish line in fifth place, but was found to have an illegally altered left-front tire during post-race technical inspection, which was recently confirmed by the team after the tire was sent to American Racer headquarters for further evaluation.

Waterbury, VT – The American Racer Three Star program is designed to recognize three teams in no particular order of performance that had outstanding races at American-Canadian Tour (ACT) U.S. Tour events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer Tire (value $125.00), but a special effort by a team, exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or any other accepted reason is used to decide the award recipients.

The Three Stars are chosen by ACT officials and will receive certificates for use of a free American Racer tire at a race of their choosing during the 2015 season.

OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAYOXFORD PLAINS 150

The ACT Tour returned to action this past Saturday, July 25 with its second visit of the year to Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway. The race was postponed nearly a month from its original date, but defending Tour Champion Joey Polewarczyk Jr. and young star Brad Babb made up for the wait with a scintillating battle for the win over the race’s final 20 laps. The battle ended when the two made contact with four laps to go, with Babb eventually spinning in turn two and “Joey Pole” going on to his fourth win of the year.

But quality racing was also happening behind the lead duo. As many as six cars dueled for the fourth position in the race’s middle stages, including Eddie MacDonald, Travis Stearns, Jimmy Hebert, and Emily Packard. Meanwhile, rising star Dillon Moltz and two-time ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. methodically worked their way up from the 16th and 17thstarting positions, eventually crossing the finish line second and fifth, respectively. There were a number of candidates for the Three Star Awards, and after due consideration, the winners are as follows:

*Brad Babb, Windham, ME – #15NH – Brad Babb scored an upset win this past May by capturing the Merchants Bank 150 at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road, and he showed on Saturday that this performance was no fluke. Babb got underneath Joey Polewarczyk Jr. on lap 112 of the 150-lap event and seemed poised for his second ACT win. But Pole stayed in Babb’s shadow, and the gloves eventually came off as both drivers gunned for the victory – Babb looking to triumph in his home state, and Pole trying to gain ground in the ACT Tour championship hunt.

The battle came to a head when the two got together on the frontstretch with four laps remaining. Babb slid up the track in turn one and appeared to regain control, but spun exiting turn two. It was a heartbreaking result for the Joey Laquerre–owned team as they ended up 11th in the final rundown. But it was nonetheless a statement race for Babb and his team, proving they can consistently run with the best of the ACT Tour. Babb thus receives a Star Award for his effort.

*Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT – #58VT – Hebert opened 2015 with a fifth-place finish at Oxford and seemed poised for another strong year. But the season quickly spiraled into a rash of crashes and mechanical failures, with the #58VT team falling as low as 13th in points. They showed signs of life with a 10th-place finish in the non-point ACT International at New York’s Airborne Park Speedway, but a return trip to Oxford was ultimately what the doctor ordered.

Hebert started 10th and remained in the top-10 for the entire event, being part of a tight battle for fourth place on back in the middle stages. After dodging a pair of late spins, Hebert found himself in third for the race’s final restart. Unfortunately, Hebert got pinned behind a lapped car and was edged at the line by Bobby Therrien as a result. Still, a fourth-place finish shows the team is still capable of contending and could spark a second-half surge. For digging in and refusing to concede the season, the Larry Hebert–owned receives a Star Award.

*Rowland Robinson Jr., Steuben, ME – #28ME – 2015 had been a down year for this small family-run team entering the Oxford Plains 150. After posting four top-10 finishes in each of the previous two seasons, Robinson had just one in the first half of 2015. The team used the time following the initial Oxford postponement to regroup, and showed signs of rebounding on Saturday.

Robinson started fourth after earning a +4 in his qualifying heat and was strong early in the main event before dropping back in the middle stages. But he remained on the lead lap during two long green-flag runs, and while other drivers pitted for adjustments or were felled by incidents, Robinson kept on trucking and brought home a season-best seventh-place finish. The result moved Robinson back into the top-10 of both the ACT Tour point standings and the Bond Auto Parts New Champions standings. The team brings its first Star Award of the season into the Tour’s next event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, where they look to build on last year’s sixth-place result.

The ACT Tour returns to Maine with its annual visit to Scarborough’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 8. Joey Pole holds a seven-point lead over Wayne Helliwell Jr. in the championship battle, while just 16 markers separate third-place Brad Babb from seventh-place Nick Sweet, who won last year’s event at the 1/3-mile oval. Post time is7:00pm.

Oxford, Maine – Joey Polewarczyk of Hudson, New Hampshire extended his lead in the battle for the ACT Late Model Tour championship with his victory in the Dave’s Small Engine Ventrac 150 on Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Polewarczyk prevailed in an aggressive, paint-swapping battle with Windham’s Brad Babb, who looked like a winner before contact from behind set off a chain of events which cost Babb the race lead and, eventually, any chance of victory.

Dillon Moltz of Waterford, Connecticut made a late charge into second position, with Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg, Vermont filling out the podium. Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, Vermont and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, New Hampshire rounded out the top five.

Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) resumes its 2015 championship chase this Saturday, July 25 at Oxford, ME’s Oxford Plains Speedway. The Oxford Plains 150 is the eighth on the ACT Tour’s 13-race schedule and their second visit of the season to the 3/8-mile oval. The event was previously scheduled for June 27 before being postponed.

The second half of the year will see the continued championship battle between New Hampshire veterans Wayne Helliwell Jr. and Joey Polewarczyk Jr. Two-time ACT Tour Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. holds a 17-point lead over defending Champion “Joey Pole” with each driver recording three wins to date.

While Helliwell earned a third-place finish in this past Sunday’s ACT International at Airborne Park Speedway, Pole spun twice en route to a 13th-place result. Pole led every lap of the Tour’s season opener at Oxford in April and is eager to get the title chase started again.

Barre, VT – The 56th season of racing at Barre’s Thunder Road Speedbowl continues with Fairpoint Communications Night on Thursday, July 16. The championship battles in the Thunder Road Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks have remained close throughout the first two months of the 2015 season. In each division, the gap between first and second in the standings is just three points, ensuring the intensity remains high as the season nears the halfway mark.

The main attraction continues to be the heavyweight battle in the Thunder Road Late Models between N. Haverhill, NH’s Derrick O’Donnell and Barre, VT’s Nick Sweet as both chase a third “King of the Road” crown. Sweet’s dramatic victory in the Vermont Governor’s Cup last Thursday, July 9 – in which he took the lead from O’Donnell in the closing laps – tightened the gap to its current three-point margin.

Barre’s Cody Blake used a runner-up finish in the Governor’s Cup to move up to third in the standings, 45 points behind O’Donnell. Blake is chasing his first Thunder Road Late Model Championship in his sixth year in the division, and his team has found the handle on the new car they purchased this offseason.

NAPLES, ME (July 14) – A season of firsts continues this weekend as the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) AIM Recycling Super Late Models Presented By Kenny U-Pull head to New York state for the first time ever to compete as part of the International 500 weekend at Airborne Park Speedway. For only the second time in history, PASS will co-headline the weekend along with the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models, with twin 200’s. The PASS 200 lap portion of the International 500 weekend will pay $7500 to win plus additional lap leader money with a potential for the winner to take home up to $10,000. The fourth race of the prestigious PASS National Championship Series will also pay $1000 to start.

One driver who will be very busy this weekend will be Hudson, NH’s, Joey Polewarczyk. Joey Pole, as he is known by his fans, will be competing in both main events, driving his ACT Late Model as well as his PASS AIM Recycling Super Late Model. While it will be the first time many of the PASS drivers have competed at Airborne Park Speedway, Polewarczyk hopes to have the upper hand based on his previous experiences racing there with ACT.

“Airborne is a D-shaped, half-mile, progressively banked racetrack that has a lot of grip and a lot of speed,” says Polewarczyk, driver of the Pole’s Automotive #97. “It was repaved a few years ago, but it definitely has some bumps. You really need to get your car rotating well to run a fast lap there. Out of all the tracks the ACT tour goes to, it’s really one of my favorite tracks. I think the PASS cars are really going to race well there.”

Vallée-Jct., QC – Defending Serié ACT Champion Alex Labbé outdueled current point leader Dany Trépanier to win the Chaudiere 150 at Vallee-Jct., QC’s Autodrome Chaudiere in an event that took two days to complete due to rain.

St-Albert, QC’s Labbé took the lead from St-Edouard, QC’s Trépanier for the final time on lap 137 and survived a final restart with eight laps remaining for his third win of the season and ninth of his Serié ACT career. The event began on Saturday, July 11 before being halted after 44 laps and was restarted the afternoon of Sunday, July 12.

Gaetan Longtin led the first eight laps from the outside pole before Québec, QC’s Jean-François Déry took over on the first of nine restarts. Trépanier grabbed the lead from the 2013 Serié ACT Champion on lap 32 and was out front when the rains came.

Waterbury, VT – The third annual American-Canadian Tour (ACT) International 500, Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 at Plattsburgh, NY’s Airborne Park Speedway, is sure to see some the best racing in the history of the fast 1/2-mile oval. The twin 200-lap events for the ACT Late Models and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models has more than $110,000 in posted awards and $10,000 guaranteed to each winner. The event has drawn big interest from both the United States and Canada, creating a true International feel for fans.

The top ACT Late Model drivers from Quebec are expected, including five former Série ACT Champions. 2014 ACT International winner and multi-time Série ACT Champion Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, QC is an early favorite to keep the top prize in la belle province. Laperle won last year’s event after a thrilling 30-lap battle with former Thunder Road Champion Nick Sweet.

“It would be awesome to get back-to-back wins,” Laperle said. “The trophy would look really nice beside the other one.”